?

No, but they did count it. Both going into and out of the country.

Sam

No, never happened in the 10+ return flights I have taken with ammo. Having said that, airlines are more sensitive to travellers loaded ammo now than they have ever been.

Fergus

No, but I have never been close to the usual 11 pound (5 kilo) limit. I HAVE heard of people being denied passage for their ammo when it was well over the limit, like 1,000 rds of .45 auto. Wish I could remember which airline that was...

And RSA did indeed count my ammo going in and out in April.

No.
Only one ever interested in my ammo was 2002 in RSA but all they wanted to know was how many rounds?
I take that back, I think on the '92 TZ hunt they counted the ammo but we had three rifles (one being a double in 470 NE) but that is all I remember about ammo. Nobody ever weighed mine.....yet.
On the last safari I carried ours in the bottom of my Tuffpak inside the normal cardbord boxes but the boxes were locked in a cheapie metal coin change box. Always before that 2002 hunt I have just had it inside the factory cardboard boxes inside my luggage.

Had a guy weigh the ammunition once when leaving from Kansas City, on the luggage scale! Not exactly accurate. It was a long time ago. He was one of those guys that has an ATTITUDE.

Not to worry, except unless you try like I did once, trying to take 12 boxes of shotgun shells. They objected!

Yep, on my first safari in 2003 to RSA in Port Elizabeth (booked with Ray and Bushveld Safaris) on the return flight to Cape Town. I had the ammo in a metal box, locked and stowed in one of my bags (not the TuffPak). A rather young looking SAA? security agent took it aside and weighed the whole thing (metal box and ammo) and proceeded to tell me that I was over the limit of 3 kilos...whereupon I politely mentioned to him that the limit per the SAA Web site and US regulations was 5 kilos which I was under on the way over (10.1 lbs ammo only) and the container has at least 60% empty brass after returning from safari ( a 300 Weatherby). He smiled and told me "okay" please return to the security line... No issues on the departure flight from Atlanta to CPT.

Moral: be prepared but polite.

Paul

Yes. Strangely enough it was as we were returning. Upon departure in RSA, they required that it be removed from our bags and shipped separately, and, because it was more efficient, we combined my brother's and mine. When we got to Atlanta, I was confronted about the weight of the combined ammo. I explained that in RSA they made us remove the ammo from our bags and wrap it separately, and it was more convenient to wrap my brother's and mine together in one package, and that it really was two allotments. The airline rep, who was very knowledgeable and realized that the RSA end had poked-the- pooch, said everything was A-OK, and we were not assess any extra charges. Ku-dude

500grains,

I have had them ask me what the weight of ammo was, and I always say "Less than 5 kilos". I have not had an airline person ask for a count of number of rounds, that is usually some government functionary's job on entry or exit (Zim, RSA and Namibia so far).

Now that Renae is hunting too I expect I will acquire a second TuffPak so we can separate the guns. We always have separate bags anyway for more room to pack what nots and gifts acquired over there.

jim

Last October, I had checked my bags at Houston Intercontinental through to Kilimanjaro. The TSA security guard who x-rayed my bag said, "That's a lot of ammo. We should weigh that."

I told him that ammo weight was an airline matter and Northwest Airlines didn't seem to have a problem with my bag when they checked it. That got me no where. The security guard carried my ammo back to the ticket counter and had the lady at the counter weigh it.

My ammo weighed over 5 kilos and after lots of discussion, repackaging and re-weighing, I had to leave a fair amount of my ammo at the ticket counter.

I was not happy with the TSA guy.

Yes, had my ammo weighed.

Last yr, Houston IAC, Delta flight to Atlanta, the girl said I had to much ammo, she said it weighted to much. I said I beg your pardon, I weighted it, its well under the limit.

So she got her superviser and put it on the scales, it was well under. So after that it was the normal musical chairs with putting the ammo in the gun case, then no thats wrong, put it in your luggage, them back in the gun case, them back in the bag. Not sure where it ended up, didn't matter its going to be wrong either way.

Did the ammo in the gun case not the bag back and forth in Joburg on the way back too.

Rifle and ammo cases
We normally take enough ammo for several hunters, and have found that we need to use a seperate container for it.

Both my 2 rifle case and ammo container are made by KK Air. A link to them is posted above.

The box I use takes 200 rounds of my 375/404 ammo. With smaller calibers, one can have more.

Yes. Last year I was flying to visit one of my brothers in Ohio and had hand-loaded up six boxes or so of .338 rounds, which weighed 10.5 pounds, in store-bought boxes. I had loaded these bullets and was taking them to my brother since he was having trouble getting .338 bullets where he lives. I was flying out of Anchorage, where I have flown into and out of many times with lots of guns and bullets, but on this occassion the young lady was concerned about all these bullets and no gun...I was not traveling with a gun. The TSA guys, two or three of them, converged on me and while the young lady first weighed then examined every bullet, the TSA folks were quizzing me as to why I had all these bullets and no gun. That bothered them. After I blurted out that some of the bullets were reloads, that caused another round of analysis to determine if reloads were legal. I was starting to feel like a criminal...maybe I had done something wrong. I offered to take the bullets back to my truck parked in the long-term parking and not check them...but right at that point some supervisor said everything was ok and they let me go...after searching me and everthing I had. The young lady weighing my bullets thought it was a happy accident that I had just under the 11 pound limit of bullets....but I had not counted on the problem caused by having bullets but no gun. None of this really bothered me until I started thinking I had done something wrong.

Whenever you fly from Paris CDG, your ammo case, like your gun case should be 1) declared in advance (exact size and weight of the case) so that the whole paperwork is waiting for your checking 2) checked and especially ammo case, which must be less of 5 kg, shockproof, closed and not included in any luggage. Last year I have had a hard time because I was carrying 5 scopes and 2 binoculars as hand luggage, as well as a bundle of arrows (without broadhead) in hand. I have had a lot of bargaining to make it clear none of them was any sort of arm. This year, Air France didn�t have received our ammo case declaration : no way to bring ammo along in Africa. Rather bloody annoying about 416RM, something rare in Africa. We succeed because with stay quite and smiling. The ammo gun was registered like any luggage.

Have never had anyone weigh ammo. Had a pilot on an African charter flight ask about the weight. Have had ammo counted in Africa. Have been asked the count in Africa.

Always leave the used brass and the unfired ammo in Africa with the PH. They don't seem to mind having a few extra rounds.

Also leave behind any surplus OTC medical stuff to save weight.

Hammer

YES! This past June. Hunting party was my wife, daughter, and myself. I packed the rifle ammo in each of our checked bags and then filled up all the extra space with 12ga shell boxes. The ammo has never been weighed in the past so I was hoping that they would just take may word for it being under the limit. They weighte it at Houston and called me at the boarding gate. The person who was talking to me was very polite and calm but informed me that they found that we were over the limit. Then she surprised me by stating that she assumes that I would like for them to remove the excess weight in shotgun shells and leave the rifle ammo. I replied that would suite me just fine. When we arrived in RSA all the rifle ammo was in place and everything else was in order with the exception of a good bit if the shot shells being gone.

Yes, on May 5 2004 in Port Elizabeth on a domestic flight to JNB.

They took the whole metal box and weighed it, and said, "thankyou", and put it back. No more was said.

Yes, late July at Cape Town returning to Atlanta. The SAA rep took the boxes out of my metal lock box and brought them over to the scale, came back and declared them at 4 kilos and sent me on my way. Twice on the trip I was asked if I carried over 5 kilos and of course I said no. Bob

Several times I've been asked if I had over 11 pounds. I don't take a lot of ammo, hence have never been close and always said no. End of discussion--until this June. United in Reno, to Atalanta in route to Cape Town. The lady wanted to know what it weighed. I said I didn't know, but it was way under 11 pounds. Still she wanted to know how much it weighed. She said it was written on the label. Well, I use reloads only (wildcat) and of course no "factory" boxes, but I use MTM plastic boxes and since I am the manufacturer (and the regs read "manufacturers box") I had made up my own labels--pretty classy I thought, too--but never put the weight on it. At any rate, after a bunch of talk, the dingbat finally let the issue rest (she never had me get it out or looked at it, and sure didn't weigh it) and I went on. Upon return, since I didn't recall ever seeing the weight on a factory box, I went down to the store and looked at some. At least the boxes I looked at, no weight given. What dumb asses! Now I have "improved" my label to include "Net Wt. 2 lb/1 Kg"

I was sweating bullets believing I had to have "factory" boxes for my ammo. I had plastic 20 round boxes in a locked file box, separate from my rifles. I was at 11 kilos of .375 & .338. At the airport I ask if they wanted to see the ammo and the TSA guy said, "what for"? No problem at all. Whew! I guess I was lucky.

I was only asked how many rounds were packed in the box in Idaho Falls by TSA (had 60-375) on first leg of flights. Ammo in the locked metal box was weighed at SAA in Atlanta, and came out at 7+ kg. (17 lbs). I had locked some knives, steels, etc. for gifts in there with the bullets and she asked me to open the box. Once she verified more than bullets were in there, she simply said "Thank You" and had me place the box back in my checked bag.

Forrest,

How can you be upset with TSA when you know the limit is 5 kilos?

Will and others,
A count upon leaving was mentioned. Why is this? Also, leaving ammo and brass with the PH: It this OK?
Max

I've never had it weighed, but I did have some (non-US) customs folk examine every headstamp to see if it matched the rifles I had. I'm glad I got overcautious and bought brass headstamped ".35 Whelen" and reloaded that for my African trip. I doubt they'd have understood that the '06 headstamp wasn't what caliber the ammo was.

Yeah, you can leave the ammo. No gov't as yet is that anal that I know of.

Once in Dar es Salam..

But I had an interesting thing happen in Denver this year on the way to Zim. The TSA guy confiscated my little plastic bottle of Rem oil and my Hoppes.. Said they were prohibited items. I explained to him that they were not and especially in the small quantities I possesed. Any way they stayed confiscated..

There is no use in arguing with a little man with a little power..

Isn't it amazing how the same regs, whatever they are, are interpreted and enforced so many different ways in different places? In Reno, they've looked at my gun oil several different times and never even commented. It shows that they really are well trained!!!!

No. But I've been asked every time.

Generally the question is some variation of "Do you have more than five kilos?" Or ten kilos when my dear wife is along.

I always say "No."

Because I speak clearly and have an honest face and endearing smile, I have always been trusted.

Yes, Southwest Airlines from Houston to Tulsa weighed at 13 lbs, looked up the rules in some book and asked me to leave 2 lbs behind. I dropped it in a trash bin. Go figure. No weighing by SAA or Delta on the rest of the trip.

They weighed my ammo coming BACK from Windhoek to Cape Town last year. As I had shot quite a few animals I only had about 3.5 kg coming back. The lady was sure that was too much. She finally found someone that knew the rules and let me go.

I'm sure I had my empties counted one time on a return trip too, but I can't remember where it was. Maybe Harare in '02.

Going to Zim. this year I was flying out of San Francisco. The guy at the counter asked me what I was hunting and how much my ammo weighed. In San Francisco I thought I would be arrested for admitting I was hunting elephant but I told him anyway and said my ammo weighed 11 pounds (which it did). He got a quizzical look on his face and said "What caliber are you shooting?" I told him ".375 and .416." He shrugged and said, "Gee I would have thought 80 rounds of .375 H & H and .416 would weigh more than that." Then he checked me in.

I couldn't believe my luck, getting a "gun guy" at the counter in San Francisco!

Kyler

Never one time in my long career of traveling with ammo have I been checked and my luggage is always searched as is customary these days, so I take more ammo than allowed as a rule....figure if it ever happens, the worst case would be to forfiet some of it..so be it....